The Roly Poly Omo Plata from Spider Guard is a really fun way to set it up The move looks a lot fancier than it really is. You just have to be comfortable rolling across your shoulders. If you have any questions let me know. Be sure to click the subscribe button

You have to look at the silver lining in things. My broken ankle has been a blessing of sorts. It gave me some much needed time for reflection.

Rich Zaydel’s Broken Ankle

What a week or so I have had….crazy how life works and how so many things can hit all at the same time. What do they say, bad things come in threes? So, in between teaching private lessons and helping at Cota’s martial arts, I roll with one of my best friends, TC, who has a couple years of mat time on me and 40 pounds. I have been doing jiu jitsu since 1993 on and off and steady since 2005. I have never had a broken bone other than a finger in my life. But, during one of our regular rolls last week with TC, I broke my ankle. It was loud like a crack of the whip.

Our cat of 13 plus years has not been home in a week. She is old, loyal and almost toothless. She has been extra lovey-dovey lately and feel she walked off into the sunset or has been eaten by a coyote which happens frequently where I live.

I have or had a boss who is a bully. I was taught to be humble through martial arts. Some people mistake that for weakness. I took some abuse because I wanted to learn so bad. But when I stood up to him because I expected him to keep his word or show me an ounce of respect, he was taken back. Bullies don’t like when they can’t intimidate you. Since then, he has been playing passive aggressive games. Admittedly I was doing horrible at the job. Part of it was the bully’s lack of support. He helped me just enough to be able to say he helped, but not enough to be effective. But, part of it was my fault. Most things I pick up pretty fast. But maybe this wasn’t for me. Maybe I found something I would never be good at and was wasting valuable time being stubborn. I had been there a year and was not generating an income. Sitting with my broken ankle, I had to admit I failed at this position.

At the end of the day, I put the blame on myself for my poor judgement. If you fail in life, it is nobody’s fault but your own. I think most of us are honest people, most of us, but I think sometimes its hard for us to be honest with ourselves and own our mistakes and learn from them. Good judgement is the result of experience and experience is the result of poor judgement.

Spider Guard w/Spiral Hook Details That Are A Must For Success! I love playing open guard and use the spider guard with lasso hook all the time. I wanted to share these details that helped me a lot. Thanks for watching. Be sure to stop by theRocknRoll BJJ Website!

I love playing open guard. One of my favorite positions is spider guard with a spiral/lasso hook. It is a lot of fun and there are a TON of attacks.

But before we get to the attacks, I just want to break down the basics of how to set it up from the closed guard. Hope this video helps you guys out.

Be sure to stay tuned for the next one in the spider guard with spiral/lasso hook series. I will go over a few subtle details based on this video like more detailed grip, how to defend this position if you are the guy on top and a couple other tips that will have you dominating your opponents in no time!

As many of you know, among the many hats I wear, I am also a loan officer helping people with home loans (If you ever need to get(if you ever need to get pre-approved for a home loan or want to refinance, contact me!). After doing it a while, I have met some really great REALTORS! Unfortunately, if you have watched the news, more and more REALTORS have been attacked at their open houses or showings. Beverly Carter, RIP, was killed last year it such an instance.

This prompted me to want to start making very simple videos for REALTORS to watch and practice together. Of course it is better if I could refine the techniques in person to make sure they understand all the little nuances, but I figure at least putting something out there is better than them having zero options to attempt in the event of an attack.

Here are just a few we put together one day. Of course as a martial artist I know that every situation is different and some watching the videos with some self defense background may recommend other options. These are just a start of a series I hope to continue.

SoCal Realtor Self Defense Day One:

SoCal Realtor Self Defense Day Two:

SoCal Realtor Self Defense Day Four:

SoCal Realtor Self Defense Day Five:

Again, these are very basic techniques. I would prefer to share these in person to help with all the nuances. For example on the first video, many people forget to tighten up their neck making the attacker’s grip hard to hold and, or, forget to cross their arms in front of them to prevent eating a knee as they bend down slightly. I have at least a dozen self defense moves for the situation shown in the first video. I just chose the one that had the least moving parts in hopes the little bit of knowledge may make a difference.

Hope the REALTORS who come across these will take the time to practice. Always be aware of your surrounding. When scheduling private showings, please do not do it alone. If you have to make sure you let people know where you are at all times and that you set up a time to contact someone when you’re showing is done so people know you are safe.

Don’t forget to stop by my SoCal Loan Man website at http://www.socalloanman.com if you need to get pre-approved for a home loan or you would like to refinance. I serve all of California! The beauty of technology!